A FRESHER'S PERSPECTIVE

To the Indian recruiters and the Indian recruitment System for Civil Engineers, Thank you for welcoming us to the world of unrealistic approach and the unfair world in the most best and abrupt manner. All the companies in the Civil Engineering field world have the same criteria for the intake of freshers and new comers. You start separating them into 3 most identified groups and shortlist them. Let’s discuss these groups one by one.

The first group are the students who are the brainy in college – THE TOPPERS. Surely they will never get placed in any of the Civil Engineering companies for more than one reason. These students work out day in and day out throughout their college life. Most of them come into college (Under Graduation) with a complete aim, on what to do after their 4 years. The main aim for most of them will be to go for higher studies. The few who have already planned to go for work after their UG are in the pre-set to get loads of marks for entry into the field. This is not their point of view. This is how the companies tell at the beginning and all the counsellors. But what happens at the end of the fourth year is highly different. First of all, there are no campus interviews in colleges apart from IITs, NITs, etc. Why, aren’t the students from other colleges equal enough to compete with them? Do you think that the freshers from those ‘reputed’ colleges will be loyal, sincere and ‘disciplined?’ Think over. Secondly, when they start sending their resume or CV to the company HR and by chance if they get selected for an interview, they are shooed away for either ‘highly educated’ (how the hell, when you are in the mind-set of IITs and NITs are the best?) or by telling that they have no ‘experience’.

The second group of students are those who have had the toughest troubles in passing the exams for variety of reasons apart from just studying (financial, peer pressure, etc.) – THE BELOW AVERAGERS. They are to clear the minimum criteria in all the interviews which is mostly 60% or equivalent Grade Point. When they sit for an interview they are surely shooed away for either their marks (Why do you then call them for the interview when you can see the marks in their shortlist procedure? To embarrass them make them feel insecure? Awesome, really awesome!!) or they are rubbed off by saying no ‘experience’!!??

The last group of students are the largest bunch – THE AVERAGERS. They can never be toppers. They study the most important factors. They are surely up to date with all the current scenarios. They can express themselves in classes, friends group, etc. But when it comes to penning down their answers they write the same amount as toppers but are at the wrath of the ‘Red Pens’. No one knows why, even the ‘Red Pens’. Now, they are a special group. Some of them go for higher studies and some of them go for a job. They are basically a mixed fruit jam. When they start searching for companies by shortlisting them and eventually getting shortlisted in one of the companies here is what that will happen. They will clear the Apts, they clear the GD and sit for the interview. In the interview all their technical questions are answered with respect. They conduct themselves with heads neither high nor low. They behave in the ideal way. But they are surely rejected for one particular reason. ‘NO EXPERIENCE’.

Do you all see the one reason for being rejected – NO EXPERIENCE. We remember many of them telling us that one of the greatest minds in Indian Civil Engineering, the brain behind the Delhi Metro, the “Metro Man”, Respected Dr. E. Sreedharan, an inspiring soul, calling all the young civil engineers to work for Civil Firms rather than joining an IT firm or by completing a MBA and joining a marketing or banking network, as the want for young brains is high and all the Engineers currently are at the verge of retirement. Sir, the answer lies with the HR and Recruitment base of the Civil Engineering companies. They say that we have NO EXPERIENCE. How will we get experienced when we are not exposed? This is not the case in just one company. This is in all of them. This is why all of them opt for getting kicked out of the country for jobs or getting themselves placed in the IT firms or Marketing and Banking Networks. Sir, we want to work for a company that practices what we have learnt. We want to serve our mother land. We want to learn more, deep into the subject that we have learnt and practice it. But, we are shooed away. We are embarrassed, humiliated and driven away. Please provide the answers for all these. All of you recruiters Thank You!! We have learned the art too now!

An Irritated, frustrated fresher who loves to work for Civil Engineering.